Motor vehicle accident: Several charges for Tennessee driver

Readers of this blog may recall the deadly Tennessee crash that claimed the life of a 13-year-old boy last month in Rutherford County. According to authorities, the alleged hit-and-run driver who caused the deadly motor vehicle accident had several drugs in her system at the time of the incident. The 33-year-old woman appeared in court on a recent Friday for her preliminary hearing. The judge who is presiding over the case has set the woman’s bond at a quarter of a million dollars.

Prosecutors allege that the woman lost control of her vehicle along Interstate 24 and struck the 13-year-old boy who was assisting his mother to change their vehicle’s tire. She has since been charged with aggravated assault, intoxicated vehicular homicide and marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession. She also faces charges of fleeing the scene of a deadly motor vehicle crash.

According to the trooper who investigated the incident, the alleged hit-and-run driver showed signs of intoxication, including slurred speech. The trooper also says that the woman failed to pass three separate sobriety tests. After the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation completed a blood sample test, it allegedly discovered Xanax, amphetamines and marijuana in the woman’s system.

As this Tennessee criminal case continues, the mounting evidence brought forward against this woman may serve to support the victim’s family members should they decide to pursue a wrongful death action. Indeed, family members of those who are killed by a negligent or unlawful driver in a Tennessee motor vehicle accident may have strong claims for restitution. Successfully navigated wrongful death actions may result in financial restitution, including money to pay for end-of-life expenses and memorial services, money for pain and suffering and money to cover attorneys’ fees and other litigation costs.